A couple, who got married in 1921, when he, 27, tall and swarthy and she, an extremely fair and puny one was just 11 ½! Of course it was “arranged” marriage those days! They lived happily till he left at 82; I know for sure, being their son!

Take another case. The last of many children (till a sister succeeded him), he was brought up by the eldest spinster-sister, older by 15 years, like a mother.

When he joined the army 46 years ago, she was worried he shouldn’t find a bride from a different caste, colour or creed! But, like all good sons of those days, he gave her a word: “even if you ask me to tie the thali, (the Mangal-sutra) around the nearest tree or pillar, I would unquestioningly do it”!

How was he to know: he would move to Dehradun, after the 1965 War; renew acquaintance with a Tamil Brahmin family, with three daughters and fall for the middle one?

It took good two years to convince the parents, who reluctantly agreed; but the sister always taunted him with his promise, till he lost his wife after 15 years; then she was very contrite about her taunts! That was me again!
A girl, social-worker, kept postponing her marriage, giving various excuses: “He is balding or wants to settle abroad or drinks or smokes” etc!

Finally, one day a local alliance arrived; they met and got married within 15 days! The fun is: the groom-to-be: smoked and drank; was balding and today they are US citizens, with two children!

When the above girl’s mother was just 14, alliance-correspondence used to take place: between a gentleman, miles away and the girl’s elder sister, for the hand of his younger brother.

But after a year, when he saw her in person, he became the suitor himself. They got married after 4 more years and have 3 daughters, one being that girl above!

So, are marriages made in heaven? I am not sure, but there appears to be some outside force
definitely!